


Aliyah

by RoseRose



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bar & Bat Mitzvah, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Jewish Character, Jewish Identity, Jewish Tony Stark, Poetry, Pre-Iron Man 1, Tony Stark Bingo 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:48:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22904239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseRose/pseuds/RoseRose
Summary: Tony Stark is Jewish and has a bar mitzvah. A character study of a Jewish Tony Stark.Chose not to warn due to discussion of Maria and Howard Stark's death, though not explicit
Comments: 11
Kudos: 16
Collections: Tony Stark Bingo 2020





	Aliyah

**Author's Note:**

> Aliyah means to go up, but it also what it is called when you are called to the Torah to read a portion. This is done for the first time at one's bar or bat mitzvah
> 
> This is a gift to Cinna! Thank you for the cookies!!
> 
> Thank you to Shoshie for the beta.
> 
> For the Tony Stark Bingo:
> 
> Title:Aliyah  
> Collaborator Name: RoseRose  
> Card Number: 3057  
> Square Filled (Letter/number AND prompt): A5; Writing Format: Use of Symbolisms  
> Ship/Main Pairing: No ship  
> Rating: G  
> Major Tags: None- mentions of Maria and Howard's death  
> Summary: Tony Stark is Jewish and has a bar mitzvah. A character study of a Jewish Tony Stark  
> Word Count: 355

At thirteen he had a bar mitzvah

A boy wearing the mantle of a man

Lo yisa goy el goy herev not yet his dream

The chant of the congregation just a pleasant melody

Lo yilmadu od milchama the opposite of his father's creed

The prayers raised around him sounds he does not understand

Called to the Torah Yosef ben Chaim v'Rachel to give

Perfect, crystal clear cantillations, tropes from tradition

Gives his portion of Torah word-perfect, Haftarah the same

The poise of a boy constantly on the stage

Mazel Tov, a blessing to Israel, comes the congregational reply

None yet know how much of a blessing he will be

A light unto the nations no matter how many try

To extinguish the light he shines to all who look

All they now see was the party, the decadence, the money

Hidden under the boy, the upright spine of the righteous

Only a cedar sapling yet to grow mighty and strong

Watered by the tears of grief and pain, but not this day

This is a day of joy, his father’s absence a blessing to him

As much as those read from the text, thankful and grateful

For this time free from demands of a demanding man

Bittersweet regret because this marks the end

He doesn’t step foot in the synagogue again

Until- Yitgadal v’yitkadash sh'mei raba- almost 10 years later

The words of mourning drop from his lips, the words of comfort-

Hamakom yinachem etchem b’toch she’ar avalei Tziyon v’Yirushalayim

Only comforting here. The place where his mother not his father gave

All her heritage to his father’s dismay. The comfort was here.

This day such a contrast to the last time, the happy time

Joy and sorrow weave in him for this place

Both the place in the word and this place in his soul

Still, his strength is a seed, and he had yet to stand with the righteous

But for those who looked close, they could see Yosef, brought low

And yet, will rise above those who would betray to become 

A man… so many years after his Bar Mitzvah day.

**Author's Note:**

> Translation for the Hebrew/explanation of some of the references:  
> Lo yisa goy el goy herev: nation shall not lift up sword against nation  
> Lo yilmadu od milchama: nor shall they learn war anymore.  
> Both are quotes from Isaiah Chapter 2, but those two quotes in Hebrew are part of a traditional Jewish song.  
> Yosef ben Chaim v'Rachel is Tony's Hebrew name- Joseph son of Chaim [which means life] and Rachel  
> Mazel Tov is a traditional phrase of congratulations.  
> Yitgadal v'yitkadash sh'mei raba: The first line of the mourner's Kaddish, said when someone close to you dies  
> Hamakom yinachem etchem b'toch she'ar avalei Tziyon v'Yirushalayim: means 'May G-d comfort you and all the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem'. It's the traditional words said to mourners by others  
> The reference to Yosef- I made Yosef Tony's Hebrew name. It's the equivalent to Joseph, and here I'm referencing the story of Joseph being betrayed by his brothers, sold to a foreign power, but then becoming powerful despite that, and in fact partially because of that.


End file.
